Forward Deployed Engineer (TS/SCI Clearance Required) at Vannevar Labs

About the role

Aplyr's Quick Take

This role is for a Forward Deployed Engineer who will be the technical lead on defense-related software projects, directly engaging with military and government clients. You'll be hands-on, responsible for developing and deploying software solutions that meet specific operational needs, while also collaborating with various teams.

Good fit

Ideal candidates are experienced software engineers with a strong background in defense or national security, and they should be comfortable working in high-stakes environments. A proactive, adaptable working style is essential, as you'll need to navigate complex technical requirements and customer interactions.

Worth noting

The position requires a TS/SCI clearance, which may limit the applicant pool. The company emphasizes a startup-like environment within a defense context, which could appeal to those looking for impactful work in a fast-paced setting.

Vannevar builds AI systems for the Department of War's most consequential missions. We have 125 deployments across every branch and combatant command spanning our core platform and five distinct products. An an example of how we work, when major combat operations started with Iran, we fielded a new product supporting 24/7 operations and 9,000+ users in three months.

How we build is our advantage: we deploy forward with the people who own the mission. Our engineers, product team, and CTO deploy forward to the point of friction, including visiting units in Ukraine. We focus on embedding directly with operational units supporting great power competition with China, combat operations with Iran, and counter-narcotics missions.

About the role

Our Mission teams operate like small startups within the Vannevar Labs umbrella. As a Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE), you will serve as the technical owner for a mission and its associated customer engagements. You will work directly with operators, analysts, and technical stakeholders supporting national security missions, owning the architecture, development, deployment, and fielding of software solutions tailored to real-world operational needs.

In this role, you will act as a senior technical counterpart to customer stakeholders — translating mission requirements into scalable software, navigating government technical environments, and ensuring capabilities are delivered reliably into production. You will collaborate closely with product, design, platform engineering, and mission teammates to deliver high-impact outcomes, while remaining a hands-on individual contributor.

What you'll do

Architect, build, and own software solutions deployed directly to customer environments in support of mission-critical use cases
Serve as the primary technical point of contact for customer stakeholders, engaging with senior technical leaders to understand mission needs and represent Vannevar’s technical approach
Own end-to-end technical delivery for your mission workstreams, from requirements gathering and system design through implementation, deployment, and sustainment
Contribute hands-on code to improve product capabilities, performance, and scalability across customer use cases
Build software that enables users to unlock value from large-scale data holdings, including text, multimedia, and geospatial datasets spanning over 46 languages
Collaborate with cross-functional partners — including engineers, product designers, and mission domain experts — to plan and deliver complex software features
Support government-facing technical artifacts as needed, including input to RFIs, RFPs, Statements of Work, and white papers
Navigate and integrate with government IT ecosystems, ensuring solutions meet security, compliance, and operational constraints
This is a fully remote role, but traveling is required - travel up to 20–30% to engage directly with mission owners and deliver capabilities in the field

What you should have

5+ years as a Full Stack Developer including familiarity with relational databases (like Postgres), caching technologies (like Redis), object storage systems (like S3), and modern front-end frameworks (like React)
Experience developing and deploying software compliant with DoD Risk Management Framework (RMF)
Experience interfacing with government owned IT systems (for example, data platforms, IdAM providers, SIEM, CDSs, etc)
Experience working with government IT and program offices to scope technical requirements, architecture, and integrations
Experience working with end users to scope mission requirements, conduct user testing, and gain product feedback
Excellent communication and teamwork skills
Must hold an active U.S. TS Security clearance with SCI Eligibility

What we offer

Comprehensive Benefits

We’re proud to offer competitive benefits that support our employees. Some key highlights of our benefits package include:

Health, dental, and vision insurance
Remote friendly with WeWork access
Unlimited PTO, shared downtime during the federal holiday calendar, and company-wide off time at the end of each year
401(k) match
Lifestyle & wellbeing stipends
Salary top-up during military reserve duty
Fully paid parental leave
Child and pet care reimbursement during travel

Vannevar is an equal opportunity employer, and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, protected veteran status, or disability status.

We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply, even if you don't feel like you're a perfect fit. If you're passionate about contributing to our mission, we'd love to hear from you!

IMPORTANT NOTICE
We are committed to protecting the privacy of all applicants. Official emails from the company will come from an @vannevarlabs.com domain. Under no circumstances will a legitimate representative from our company contact you to request passwords, financial information, or other sensitive personal data. Please be vigilant of potential scams.

Skills & Tags

react go ai data product design

Aplyr's read

Vannevar Labs develops cutting-edge AI for defense, attracting tech-savvy professionals passionate about national security and innovative technology solutions.
Synthesized from recent postings & public sources

What's promising

•Focuses on advanced AI solutions with real-world defense applications.
•Opportunities in high-impact roles requiring security clearance, indicating trust and responsibility.
•Growing portfolio of roles suggests expansion and diverse career paths.

What to watch

•High-security clearance requirements limit applicant pool.
•Defense focus may not align with all tech professionals' values.
•Limited public information about company culture and work-life balance.

Why Vannevar Labs

•Specializes in AI for national security, a niche market.
•Roles like 'Mission Lead' and 'Forward Deployed Engineer' highlight unique operational focus.
•Emphasizes security-clearance roles, indicating high trust and responsibility.

Aplyr’s read is generated by AI from public sources. Was it useful?